Topics covered: Tougher environment for footwear vendors, Sourcing, Relatively inexpensive valuations, Maximized scale, Improved operations, High quality brands and operators, Free Cash Flow, Fashion-driven players, Experienced management teams, Consolidation among department stores, Conglomeration of mid and small cap growth companies, Better gross margins
Topics covered: Value-Aligned Investing, Undervalued EVA companies, Organizational incentives, Optimizing returns on capital, National oil companies, Mispriced stock, Minimizing risk, Mid-cap companies, Growth in shareholder value, Fixed income & equity strategies, Economic value added principles (EVA), Alternative Energy, "Wide moat" businesses
Topics covered: Stock performance, Slowing housing market, Restructuring opportunities, Restaurant margins, Private equity deals, Home cooking, Higher labor costs and minimum wages, High gas prices, Decreasing size of the household, Consumer discretionary spending, Commodity prices, Activist investors
Topics covered: Water supply in China, Value traps, Telephony, Risk Management, Market neutral trading, Inflation trends, Fixed income management, Federal government subsidies, Absolute return strategies (ARS)
Topics covered: Rising corn prices, Restaurant usage trends, Product pipeline, Packaging cost environment, Full-year numbers analysis, CPG space, Cost pressures, Agricultural ingredients
